Three Little Words
by paperchik
Summary: All James ever wanted to hear were three little words. Will Lily finally be the one to say them?
1. Of hexes and promises

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**It all belong to J.K., and I hope you understand that. If you don't, you need to get your head checked. Anyway, on with the story!**

--

I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. You know, hexing him into oblivion, but you never know, I might just have regretted it.

--

James Potter's day had been good. Stuffing his face at breakfast, getting to stare at Evans all day, then pulling off a particularly satisfying prank. But he felt hollow. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he had to skip dinner. Because he was in the hospital wing, getting his boils removed.

--

"Evans, why won't you just listen to me?" pleaded James.

"Because, _Potter_, you just caused my best friend's hair to fall out! Maybe that has something to do with it, hm? And while you're off gallivanting, or planning your next prank, you can just go and jump off a cliff!" screamed Lily.

"Aw, come on, it'll grow back, won't it?" said James morosely.

"Wait, it will, won't it?" he questioned, his face worried.

Lily just looked at him pityingly and strode off.

"What's so bad about losing hair?" James muttered as he ambled his way towards the dining hall.

--

"So, uh, what happened?" questioned Lily's friend, Mary Mcdonald.

"Yeah, did you hex him?" asked Alice, Lily's other friend, earnestly.

"No," she muttered.

"But I told him to go jump off a cliff, does that count?"

Alice's face fell.

"Well, next time, just hex him. Don't even bother with words," she sniffed.

"Yeah, whatever," replied Lily.

"Lilyflower!"

"Uh oh, here comes trouble," murmured Alice.

Lily cringed as James out an arm around her shoulder.

"What ever would you want with me, Potter?" she said snidely.

His face fell tragically.

"What, you don't want to spend time with me?" said James pleadingly.

"Not now, nor ever. You make me sick," she yelled, as she raised her wand.

James looked rather frightened.

Before he knew it, he was rolling around on the floor, covered in purple boils.

"EVANS! DETENTION!" screamed Mrs. Mconagall.

--

Lily was bored. She'd already spent half an hour staring out the window, and the Quidditch pitch held no more interest for her. Sighing, she turned to Alice.

"I'm bored," she proclaimed. Alice chuckled.

"Took you long enough. Let's go down to the kitchens."

Lily tossed her jacket on the chair and they set off.

--

Later that evening as she was doing her homework, she started thinking.

_Maybe you shouldn't have hexed him._

No. Musn't think like that. He deserved it.

_I bet he's really hurt at what you did._

So what? He totally deserved it.

_Maybe you shold hive him a chance._

No way. He's a git.

_Just one date. It wouldn't hurt..._

"Shut up!" she screamed, causing several first years to jump. Turning red and muttering apology, she packed up her books and headed up the stairs.

"Musn't talk to yourself," she chided as she reached the dormitory.

"Huh?" said Alice from her bed.

"Do I hear you talking to yourself, oh Holy Head Girl? You know, talking to ones self is the first sign of lunacy," stated Alice primly.

"Yeah, yeah," Lily muttered as she pulled off her robes.

--

"Uh, Potter, can I talk to you?" asked Lily faultily.

"Uh, yeah, sure," he said stiffly.

"Well, um... um..." she started.

"Just spit it out already," he said rudely, obviously relishing the shocked look on her face.

"Well, I just wanted to say that I'msorryforhexingyouandgivingyoupurpleboilsandmakingyoumissyourobviuoslyimportantdinner," she finished in a rush.

James raised his eyebrows.

"What kind of apology was that?" he asked snidely.

"Well, _Potter_, at least I apologized, which is more that you ever do. You know, wait, I take it back. You don't deserve to be apologized to. I say something nice, and then you have to go and be all rude about it. The least you could do is accept it!" yelled Lily, with a furious look on her face.

James snorted.

Lily's look turned livid, and Peter, who was sitting next to Remus, visibly paled and shrunk down in his chair.

"FINE!" she shouted.

"Good riddance to you and your bunch of moronic idiot friends. I'm tired of being mad. I'm tired of always having to yell at you. This is it. It's done. I'm never talking to you again!' she shrieked, and flung herself up the stairs.

* * *

**There you go, first chapter. Hope you liked it!**

**I'll try to have a new chapter on Monday. Be patient, and Review!!**

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	2. Detention!

**Ok, ok, so I jumped the gun a little bit.**

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--

When James walked into the common room the next day, he could see Lily talking to Mary and Alice in the corner. He was about to go over and say hello, but he remembered what she had said.

"Ugh," he muttered under his breath.

Sirius was the first to notice his dejected expression.

"Trust me mate, she's gonna have to start talking to you again. You are head boy after all. And she's head girl," Sirius pointed out.

James visibly brightened.

"You know, you're right Sirius. I'm gonna get her to talk to me," he said cheerfully, and sauntered over to Lily.

"So, uh, how's it going?" he asked.

Lily pointedly turned her back.

"Fine," he muttered.

"But just so you know, I am going to get you to talk to me," he said, and walked away.

--

"So, Lily, since you aren't talking to James, does that mean that we can't either?" asked Mary cautiously.

"You can do whatever you want, I'm not stopping you," she replied, and turned back to her book.

Alice and Mary exchanged glances.

"Lily, don't you're taking this just a little bit too seriously?" asked Alice.

"No," she replied simply.

"James Potter is an egotistical git, and I don't want to have anything to do with him," she said, through clenched teeth.

Alice and Mary exchanged another glance.

"Fine," muttered Mary.

"But I hope that you can work this out. He's obviously head over heels for you," she stated.

Lily snorted.

"Yeah, right. He just wants to annoy me. I won't take it anymore!" she exclaimed, and stomped out of the common room.

--

James had just walked out of the great hall when he saw Lily talking to Justin Woolard, a handsome Ravenclaw seventh-year.

"...be delighted to accompany you to Hogsmeade," he heard Lily saying.

James clenched his teeth.

"What's he got that I don't?" asked James beseechingly.

"Well," said Remus.

"First of all, he's a Ravenclaw, and most Ravenclaws are really smart. Secondly, he doesn't go around hexing people, and thirdly, he's not annoying," stated Remus matter-of-factly.

"Oh ha ha Moony. I'm definitely handsomer than he is," said James unabashedly.

"And I'm handsomer than you are, so that means I'm two times as handsome as he is," said Sirius.

"Wow Padfoot, you can do math?" asked James sarcastically.

"You'd be surprised at what all I can do," he said mysteriously, eyeing a couple of girls nearby.

Remus heaved a sigh and headed to his next class. James heaved a sigh and headed to his next class, with Peter trailing on his heels.

"What'd I do?" Sirius called after James's retreating back.

--

"OK Moony, you take Mcgonagall. Sirius, Peeves. Wormtail, think you can handle Flitwick?" asked James. Peter nodded dumbly.

"OK, then I'll take Filch. Let's meet up in half an hour," he said.

Everyone nodded and headed off in different directions.

--

Lily was having a great time. It was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year, and she got to spend it with a handsome Ravenclaw. _He's so cute, and polite, and smart and..._ The list could go on. He's already bought her about two pounds of chocolate, a pair of gloves, and a butterbeer. They were just walking down to Zonko's when James Potter appeared.

"So, Evans, enjoying your date with Mr. Fantastic here?" he said snidely.

Lily's face turned beet red, but she still refused to talk to him.

Justin, however was not going to take that kind of goading. He launched himself at James, and pretty soon they were rolling around on the ground, trying to throw punches at each other.

"BOYS!" screeched Mrs. Mcgonagall, who had just come out of the Three Broomsticks with Professor Flitwick and Professor Dumbledore.

"DETENTION! I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH CONDUCT! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!" she screamed, her face livid.

James and Justin shakily got their feet, throwing each other hate filled glances. Justin had a split lip, and James has somehow acquired a black eye.

"20 points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Detention for the rest of the week. Maybe then you can work out your differences," she fixed them with a steely glare and strode away.

Once Mcgonagall was out of sight, Justin spun spun around to look at James.

"Don't you ever insult me, or her again. Do you hear?" said Justin.

James smirked.

"Aye aye, captain**," **he spoke snidely.

Lily was glaring daggers at James.

She mouthed "Keep your hands off of him"

James grinned evilly and saluted her.

She spun on her heel and marched back up to the castle with Justin.

Then Sirius came walking by with his newest acquisition, a girl named Melanie.

"What happened?" he asked, eyeing James's black eye.

"Oh, nothing. I just beat up Lily's precious Ravenclaw boyfriend, that's all," he boasted.

Sirius's smile became wider.

"Good for you," he said clapping James of the back.

"Come on, let's go to Zonko's," James muttered.

--

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	3. Things could be worse

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--

Lily moaned.

Why did Potter always have to ruin everything for her?

She desperately wished she could go and chew him out.

_Stupid self. Why did you have to say you would never speak to him again?_

She briefly wondered how someone so handsome could be such a jerk...

No Lily. Musn't think that.

"You know Lily, if you keep talking to yourself, we might have to take you to St. Mungo's," Alice interrupted. Lily blushed.

"Uh oh, did I say that last part out loud?"she asked.

Alice grinned evilly.

"Yep," was her smug reply.

"Oh, and I also heard that a certain James Potter," Lily cringed, "...got into a fight with that hot Ravenclaw guy, what was his name?" asked Alice.

"Justin Woolard," Lily moaned.

"Ah ha! So you do know about it. Mary told me you would," she said.

"Guilty as charged. I was there," whispered Lily.

Alice's eyes lit up.

"So the fight was over you, huh?" she asked mischievously.

"NO! Well, yeah...um...maybe," she muttered.

"I was having such a nice time with Justin, then Potter went and insulted him, and, well, things got out of hand," Lily explained.

"So that explains why Potter has a black eye!" said Alice cheerfully.

"Yeah," said Lily glumly.

"Oh well, things could be worse. Come on, let's go get some hot chocolate," Alice said brightly, and headed put the door. Lily stood up slowly, marveling at the cheerfulness of her friend. _She's right, _she thought to herself. _Things could be worse._

--

When Lily arrived at breakfast the next morning, there was a white Lily lying by her plate. She has her suspicions about Potter, who was, suprisingly, blushing. Not normal. Marauders hardly ever blushed. Except for Peter, of course. She sent him the eye of death, and calmly buttered her toast. He paled considerably and looked hastily. He still had a black eye. Lily smirked. Just then, Mary and Alice walked up.

"So, Potter, enjoying your black eye?" asked Alice snidely.

"You wish," he muttered darkly, sending Lily covetous looks.

"Since Lily can't talk to you, we've decided to," announced Mary.

"Yeah, and if you EVER insult her or her future boyfriends, or touch a single hair on Lily's future boyfriends, you'll have to answer to US," Alice spoke up.

"Like you could ever do anything to me," James laughed.

Both girls wipped put their wands and pointed tham at James's nose.

"You'd be surprised," hissed Mary.

James was nervously looking at the wands that were dangerously close to his nose.

"Maybe we can work something out?" he said weakly.

--

"Hey, James, you've got to patrol tonight," Remus called up the stairs.

"With who?" James asked nervously.

"Not Lily, thankfully," Remus sighed.

James looked very relieved when he walked down the stairs.

"Good," he said.

"She looked like she might kill me this morning at breakfast," he muttered.

"Hm, maybe it had something to do with the lily you put by her plate," said Remus.

"Don't be silly. All girls like flowers. Especially from me," he boasted.

"Not Lily," said Moony darkly.

--

Potions class the next day was tense. Both James and Severus were shooting Lily pleading looks, and she was doing her best to avoid both of them, putting a mask of cool indifference on her face. The only sign of her stress was when she accidentally crushed one of her caterpillars, earning a disapproving frown from Slughorn. However, he had nothing but admiration for her at the end of the hour when she turned out a perfectly concocted potion. James's had exploded, and Peter's was emitting orange sparks. The moment class was over, she bolted out of the dungeon, and tried to get to lunch as fast as she could.

"What's the matter?" asked Alice when she sat down next to Lily.

"Oh, nothing. Potions class was just hell," said Lily morosely.

"Why? You're the best potions brewer I know," Alice encouraged.

"It's not that, Potter and Sev were just being annoying," Lily sighed.

Alice's face turned sympathetic.

"You want me to go hex him?" she asked sternly.

"No, you don't have to do that. You might get a detention," Lily urged.

Alice shrugged. "So?"

"Do whatever you want, but it won't give me any satisfaction," aid Lily.

"Fine, " Alice pouted. "But I'm gonna hex him one of these days," she promised. Lily shrugged resignedly and took a bite of potatoes.

--

As Lily was doing her homework that night, she noticed Alice shooting furtive looks at Frank Longbottom, who was sitting across the room.

"Just go talk to him," she urged. Alice blushed.

"What? I...I couldn't, I'd make a fool of myself," she stammered.

"No you wouldn't. Just go say hello, and ask if he'd like to do homework with you one night. You could ask for some help," Lily prodded.

"Fine," muttered Allice, and she made her way across the room.

Lily sighed and leaned back in her chair. Why did everyone but her always seem to have a boyfriend? But she already knew the answer to that one. Potter. He had ruined every single one of her relationships. He was such a git.

"Oh well," Lily murmured.

"Who needs a boyfriend anyway?"

--

**There you go, hope you liked it!**

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	4. Ridiculous Preposterous Unthinkable!

_Oh Liiillly, my heart sings out for you,_

_I long for your touch, for your love,_

_oh I long to be yours, forever..._

Came the crooning voice of a certain James Potter, who, at that moment, was balanced precariously on a broomstick outside of the seventh year girls dorms, his arms lifted and opened wide toward the window, a soppy, lovesick grin on his face. Several of the sixth year girls at a window to the right were giggling and pointing. Alice appeared at the window a few moments later with scowl on her face. In her hand she clutched a rumpled piece of parchment.

"Ahem," she started. James, however, didn't hear and continued to sing.

_If you'll be mine, then I'll be yours,_

_just say the words,_

_and I'll be yours foreveeeerrrrrr..._

"AHEM!" snapped Alice. James jumped, and his hands flew down to steady himself.

"What?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Alice glared at him, while Mary too appeared at the window.

"Lily has a message for you," she announced, and James grinned.

"What is it, a profession of her love? A greeting perhaps?" he said smugly. Alice glared at him again.

"No," she said stiffly. She cleared her throat, and looked at the parchment she was holding.

"I, Lily Evans, would like to inform you, Potter, that I would like you to remove yourself from my presence, and to stop singing that horrendous song. Best wishes, never yours forever, -L.E." Alice read. James' face fell for a moment, but a grin soon reappeared on his face.

"She's probably just kidding. Where is she? Can I talk to her?" asked James as he craned his neck around, trying to see in the window.

"No," said Mary stolidly, and slammed the window shut.

--

"C'mon Prongs mate, it's not that bad. At least she didn't knee you in the groin like last time," encouraged Sirius at the breakfast table later that morning. James winced in remembrance and sighed deeply.

"It's hopeless," he said mournfully. "She's never going to like me."

Remus sighed.

"All you have to do is act more mature. Show her that you're serious about your duties, and her," he said.

"Wow," said Sirius looking at him. "Sometimes I wonder if you're a girl," he snorted. Remus rolled his eyes. "It's simple logic," he replied peevishly.

--

Lily sat in the library later that evening, trying to finish her Transfiguration essay. Her quill was scratching busily across the parchment as she pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. James strode around the corner, and when he saw her, a delighted grin spread across his face.

"So, how's my favorite Lilyflower doing?" he asked smugly, as he snuck up behind her. Lily whipped around and glared at him, her face red. He grinned evilly.

"I thought I'd find you here. You're normally here on Wednesday evenings," he said. Lily was turning purple under the strain of unsaid words. He chuckled, and looked down at her paper.

"How can you write that small?" he asked, while squinting at her paper. Lily sighed and turned back to her paper. James just looked at her for a few minutes before mumbling a goodbye.

--

"I swear, it's like he follows my every move!" ranted Lily later that evening in the common room. Alice and Mary were sprawled on their beds, listening but yet not listening to her at the same time. Alice inspected her nails with a bored look.

"Are you even listening to me?' snapped Lily, looking at Alice forcefully.

"Of course, Lily, but it seems to me that every conversation we've had for the last couple of weeks have been about Potter. You think about him too much," replied Mary tiredly. Lily spluttered wildly and choked out: "Ridiculous...preposterous...unthinkable!"

--

"Hello class!" boomed the loud voice of Professor Slughorn.

"Hello Professor," the class replied dully. James was staring at the back of Lily's head, trying to see if she would look around at him. Her head, however, stayed pointedly forward, as she fixed her eyes firmly on her textbook.

"Today, we're going to be working on the Draught of Peace. This is just a review, so don't get all worried," chuckled Slughorn, and waved for them to get started. When James went to get ingredients, he sidled up to Lily's desk. He could see Remus shooting him a warning look, but James ignored him and cleared his throat.

"You're not going to talk to me, are you?" asked James. Lily firmly shook her head and motioned for him to move. James, however, stayed where he was.

"Why won't you talk to me?" he pressed. Lily shook her head again exasperatedly.

"Fine," he muttered, stomped back to his desk.

"Um, Prongs did you forget something?" reminded Remus. James looked around for a moment and then started.

"Ingredients might help," smirked Moony as he chopped up his roots.

--

Dinner that evening was a dismal affair. Lily wasn't even there, and James had no idea where she was. That, coupled with her earlier scorn, was enough to bring down his spirits. So much so, even, that he refused to eat. Sirius, however, was not one to waste food. He was stuffing his mouth with everything he could reach, and most who were unfortunate enough to be sitting near him were too sick to consume any food or drink.

--

Lily heaved a sigh as she headed toward Dumbledore's office. She hoped it wasn't anything serious. She had enough t deal with. Dumbledore's face, however, was grim as she perched on one of the chairs in front of his desk. He surveyed her calmly over the top of his half-moon glasses before starting.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news..."

Lily felt her stomach turn over. What was wrong?

"As you may well know, Lord Voldemort is getting stronger by the day. It is up to us to stand against him. However, some people are unable too, and they, unfortunately, act as a means to persuade. I'm sorry Lily. I'm sorry," Dumbledore stated, his face sad as he gazed at her.

"Wait, what happened?" she asked wildly.

"It's your parents, Lily, They're dead."

--


	5. Talking Walls

_**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**_

--

"Lilyflower!" came the loud and annoying voice of James Potter. Lily, who was sitting in a chair in the corner, staring into space with a miserable look on her face, flinched and turned away. James started to head towards her when Remus grabbed hold of his elbow and pulled him back.

"Didn't you hear?" he hissed. James looked confused.

"No. What?" he asked.

"Her parents died, that's what," replied Remus testily. James blanched and swallowed loudly.

"Uh oh," he whispered.

"Great, now I've gone and blown it. She'll hate me forever," he said forlornly.

"She already hates you, and you've already blown it," Remus replied cheerfully.

"Ha ha, Moony. Thanks for the happy attitude," James said sarcastically.

--

She was empty. Broken open, like a wound, raw, hurting. It hurt to move, it hurt to think. It hurt to get through the day. Their empty spaces loomed up, screaming. She stopped caring. She no longer ate. Life seemed so empty.

--

When James entered the Great Hall the next morning, he could see Lily in a corner, staring down at her empty plate. Her green eyes had grown dim; her hair no longer shone. The dark spots underneath her eyes showed her lack of sleep; James could tell she was getting thinner. It hurt him to see her like this. She had always been bright, and happy, always laughing. Her friends were looking at her worriedly, and their attempts to get her to eat failed dismally. All she ever did was homework; constantly homework. The professors handed back her perfect papers with worried looks. Professor Slughorn was particularly upset; his favorite student was no longer respondent.

James sat down by her carefully. He took a deep breath; he hoped this would help.

"Lily?" he asked quietly. She sniffed and looked at away.

"Lily, I heard what happened. I just wanted to say how sorry I am."

Lily looked surprised for a moment, and then her eyes overflowed with tears.

"It hurts. So bad," she choked out, and buried her sobbing face in his shoulder. James was astounded. She talked! _Under the wrong circumstances, _he thought grimly.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay," he murmured, and wrapped his arms around her slight frame. She was getting his robes wet; he didn't care. Her tearstained face was still beautiful.

They stayed like that until breakfast was over. When everyone had left, he gently helped her up, and took her to the common room. He didn't care that he was late for class. That didn't matter. All that mattered was Lily.

--

For the next few weeks, James became her constant companion. He accompanied her to each class. He accompanied her to meals. He had every patrol with her. He held open doors, carried her books, helped her through doorways. This of course, caused James' fanclub to go wild with envy. James didn't care. They didn't matter, only Lily did. They glared at her and insulted her everywhere she went. James yelled at them, and, if they persisted, hexed them. Somehow, surprisingly, he never got caught.

She talked to him now. About everything. They could often be seen in a corner of the common room, talking about something or other. Unsurprisingly, Sirius grew jealous.

--

During one of James' free periods, Sirius walked up to him, a mad glint in his eye.

"Hey, buddy, remember me?" he taunted.

"Of course I remember you, Sirius," James murmured.

"Well, it doesn't seem like it. You're always with _her_. You never talk to us anymore!" Sirius was yelling now.

"Why? What are you saying?" asked James menacingly.

"I'm saying that you've given up your friends for a _girl_!" he yelled.

"No, I haven't," he sighed. "Lily just needs my attention right now. Can't you understand that?" he said pleadingly.

"No, I can't," Sirius said shortly, and walked out, Peter following him. Remus came up to him, an apologetic look on his face.

"I understand," he said quietly. "But I think you need to give your friends a little bit more attention." James sputtered for a moment, and then fell silent under Remus' penetrating stare.

"Fine," he muttered, and Moony left.

--

"Lily," James murmured.

"Um hum," she said absentmindedly, twirling her quill around in her fingers.

"I'm gonna have to spend less time with you. I'm neglecting my friends," he pleaded. Lily looked at him wildly.

"You can't! I...I need you," she said, blushing.

James sighed. "I know, but I need to be there for my friends too. I'm leaving them in the dark. They've been my friends the whole time I've been at Hogwarts, and you...um..." he trailed off.

"Haven't," she replied coolly.

"Yeah," he said lamely.

"Fine. I'll manage. I have Alice and Mary," Lily stated, and turned back to her essay.

James walked away feeling like a traitor. She _needed _him. She'd said so herself.

--

James began spending most of his time with his friends. Whenever he tried talking to Lily, she just brushed him off. She stopped eating again. James began to get worried, but he couldn't talk to her. Neither could Mary and Alice, for that matter.

--

The sound of crying reached Sirius' ears as he walked back from detention. Curious, he walked around, trying to find the source. Finally, he saw Lily hunched over in a corner, sobbing.

"What the..." he began.

He walked over to her and held out his hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Lily started when she saw him.

"Oh, um...yeah," she muttered, and wiped her eyes, getting up.

He held out his hand again. Surprisingly, she took it.

"It's just been so...hard," she said, her voice low.

"Well, at least your parents probably cared for you. Mine _hate _me," said Sirius bitterly.

"Wow, really?" she asked looking up at him.

"Yeah. They were furious when I got sorted into Gryffindor. Wanted me to be a pureblood freak like them. I ran away from home last year," he said, his face betraying no emotion.

"Really? I never knew that. It must have been bad," she said sympathetically.

"Tell me about it," he snorted.

"Hm, now I feel better. Thanks!" she said brightly, and walked off.

"What'd I do?" he asked the wall.

Surprisingly, the wall answered.

"You made her forget her own problems. That's the way to deal with 'em!" the wall stated gruffly.

--

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	6. A fine bit of magic

**Hm, too much of a filler chapter for my liking, but I hope you enjoy.**

**REVIEW!**

--

Ah, Christmas. One of the best times of the year. Or so Albus had always thought. _Hm, what to do, what to do? A dash of mistletoe here, a dash of mistletoe there. Quite simple, really._

--

"So, Padfoot, what should I get her?" asked James nervously. Sirius sighed.

"Mate, you go through this every year. She always throws your present away anyway," he said exasperatedly.

"I know, I know," James moaned. "But I have to get her something, it's our last year at Hogwarts. _My_ last chance," he pointed out.

"Fine. Just get her something pretty. Girls like pretty things."

"You're a load of help, Pad. _Get her something pretty._ Yeah, right. There are millions of pretty things!" James exclaimed.

"Get her the prettiest thing," Sirius said logically. James sighed loudly and looked up at the sky. He always enjoyed Hogsmeade trips, but this one; this one was difficult.

"I'll just come back later," he announced. "Let's go to see Rosmerta."

--

_Hm, black shoes or brown shoes? Nothing to flashy. Stay neutral, so it can go with that new skirt I bought the other day... _So thought Lily as she was staring in a shop window, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Alice, what do you think? Black or Bro..." _Whump!_

"Oooowww," moaned Lily as she sat up, rubbing her elbow. A very concerned looking James Potter was standing over her, holding out his hand.

"Um, sorry," he said sheepishly.

"You should be. Watch out where you're going next time!" she snapped.

"Like I said, sorry," repeated James. Lily huffed loudly, but her face softened for a moment.

"Whatever," she said, and turned back to the window.

--

"Dum Dum Dum..." James announced majestically as he walked into the boy's dormitory.

"What is it this time?" groaned Remus.

"Something wonderfully perfect and fantastic, if I do say so myself," James said grandly.

"You always say that," quipped Sirius as he walked out of the bathroom, toweling his hair.

"Yes, always," repeated Moony.

James rolled his eyes. "Whatever. This one truly _is_ wonderfully perfect and fantastic. It'll blow your socks off!"

"Where'd you learn that one?" asked Sirius curiously.

"Muggle Studies. But that doesn't matter. Just wait until you hear this."

"Well, spit it out already," Remus interjected.

"Fine here goes:" When James was finished, Sirius looked impressed, and Remus doubtful.

"I don't know," Moony said tentatively.

James snorted. "It's perfect! Everything's gonna work out fine."

--

"Uh, Lily?" asked Mary hesitantly, approaching her from behind.

"What?" she snapped.

"Um, angry much?" said Mary defensively.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I have a lot on my mind."

"Yeah, I know. You've hardly talked to us for the last couple of weeks. What's going on?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing. I'm just confused is all," Lily returned.

"About what?" Mary said, crossing her arms.

"Nothing. Why all these questions?" said Lily irately.

"I just want to know what's going on. You've hardly talked to us!" Mary exclaimed.

Lily sighed loudly and tapped her quill on the desk. _Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

"Stop it!" Mary cried. Lily looked startled.

"What?" she asked.

"You're avoiding the topic. Why won't you talk to me?"

"I don't know, I just haven't felt very good lately," Lily sighed.

"That's the problem, Lily. You haven't felt very good in ages. You're forgetting us," Mary said, pointing to Alice across the room. Alice lowered her eyes swiftly and tried to look interested in her nails. Lily darted her eyes back to look at Mary.

"Did she tell you to say this stuff?"

"No! I'm worried about you too. I wish you'd talk to us again," said Mary swiftly, and returned to Alice.

--

Lily sighed. Patrol always tired her out. _This is pointless._ She turned to Remus.

"Um, are you going home for Christmas?" she asked.

Remus ran his hands through his hair. "No," he smiled. "I'm going to stay here with James and them. What about you?" Lily sighed painfully, and Remus suddenly realized his mistake.

"Oh, I'm sorry Lily. I...I forgot," he apologized profusely.

"No, don't be. It's fine. It's...It's getting easier to deal with," she said morosely.

"Well, I hope you have a great Christmas. Maybe I should have convinced James to go home for Christmas, to give you a little peace," he replied jokingly.

Lily laughed. "Yeah, that would be nice."

She suddenly turned around.

"Out of there you two!" she barked at an unsuspecting pair of Ravenclaws in a half-opened broom cupboard. They scurried away hurriedly, blushing furiously.

"Wow," Remus snorted. "I see why Dumbledore gave you the job."

--

"James. James man, wake up!" cried Sirius. James stirred slightly, and groaned loudly.

"No...No...not the Plastibats!" he mumbled. Sirius looked at him inquisitively, shrugged, and pushed him off the bed.

"Hey! What'd you do that for?" he asked indignantly, clambering back onto his four poster.

"No reason. I just wanted to get you up. It's Christmas, y'know," Sirius replied happily, and vaulted over his bed, only to land painfully in a heap below it. "Presents," he mumbled blearily, and got to his feet.

"Yeah, presents," replied James, and vaulted over _his_ bed, landing perfectly upright.

"And that," he announced majestically, "Is how you do it,"

--

"Lily, Lily, get up," whispered Alice, shaking her slightly.

"What?" grumbled Lily.

"It's Christmas. Duh!"

"Oh, yeah!" she remembered. There was a large pile of presents at the foot of her bed.

"Yay!" she squealed delightedly, and tore into her presents.

--

Lunch that afternoon was quite an affair. Most of the students had gone home to be with their families, so the Great Hall was relatively empty.

"Kippers?" beamed Dumbledore, as he passed around a large platter.

"Ergh," mumbled Lily, wrinkling her nose when the tray passed under her nose.

"What, Ms. Evans, you don't like kippers?" asked Dumbledore worriedly. She shook her head dumbly.

"Ah, then you don't know what you are missing!" he exclaimed, and heaped his plate.

"Thshe fooshd ish eshpecly goed thishch yer," said Sirius through a mouthful of food.

"Be a gentleman, Pad, and close your mouth," James tutted.

Sirius grunted in reply, and swallowed loudly, choking slightly.

"I can do as I please," he huffed, and stuffed another forkful in his mouth.

James looked over at Lily. She was wearing the earrings that he had gotten her; small lilies.

He looked around, and pointed his wand at the ceiling under the table, muttering a spell. In a few seconds, rose petals began falling from the sky. Lily looked around in wonder, then rested her eyes on him, suspicious. He shrugged and inhaled deeply. _Ah, roses._

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily.

"A fine bit of magic," he said, so only James could hear.

--

**I hope you liked it!**

**Don't forget to Review!**

**Hugs and kisses,**

**-FRF**


	7. Good work

**Sorry it's been so long; but I've been busy. I'll try to update more, not that it's summer.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, it seems like a lot of filler to me, but there you go.**

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me. I doubt I have the brainpower.**

**REVIEW!!**

--

"Lily, please talk to me. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," James pleaded as he stood outside the girl's dormitory.

"Yes, you did," came her muffled voice.

"No, I didn't," he sighed. "Why would I say something that mean to you?"

"I can think of many reasons."

"Why do you distrust me so?" he asked morosely. Lily made her way slowly down the staircase. "Maybe it's because I couldn't trust you before, and now, when I can, you go and say something mean," she said.

"But I didn't _mean_ to!" he cried desperately.

--

"Uh, James?' asked Remus.

"Yeah?" he replied casually, not looking up from his Quidditch magazine.

"Where's Peter?"

"I dunno," James said, looking around wildly.

"I haven't seen him all day. Where do you think he is?" Remus said.

"I'll go check the map," James said logically, and sprinted up to the boy's dormitory.

A minute later, James was staring at the map quizzically.

"He's not on here," he muttered.

"Hey Remus," James called.

"Yeah?"

"He's not on here." Remus furrowed his brow thoughtfully.

"Hm, maybe he's in the Room of Requirement."

"Yeah, probably. Let's go check it out," James replied.

--

James paced in front of the blank stretch of wall hurriedly. After his third pass, the wall morphed into a door, which James opened to find a group of Slytherins. Peter looked very small amongst them, his brow shiny with sweat, and his eyes darting to and fro.

"What?" James gasped.

"James!" Peter cried.

"What are doing with them?" he asked levelly.

"They..They threatened me!" Peter exclaimed. "They told me that they would kill me!"

"Is this true?" James asked, looking around the room.

"Of course not," said Snape smoothly. "He came of his own free will."

"Don't believe them, James," said Wormtail desperately.

He glared at Snape for a moment before answering. "Fine. I don't believe either of you," said James stolidly, and backed out of the room.

--

"Hey! Mary, Alice, guess what?" cried Lily from the common room. Alice poked her head sleepily from the door to the girls dormitory, and grumpily answered: "What?"

"Hogsmeade trip next weekend, is what," said Lily cheekily, as she poked out her tongue.

"Really?" squealed Alice. "I wonder if Frank will take me?" she sighed dreamily.

"Duh," replied Lily before turning back to the bulletin board.

"Hey, Lily, are you still mad at James?" asked Alice, her mood suddenly worried.

"Yes," Lily sighed, and stared down at the floor.

"Why?"

"Because, he's a jerk, that's why," she answered with a weak smile.

"Whatever," Alice said with narrowed eyes.

--

The following week passed slowly for Lily. She couldn't wait for Hogsmeade; she desperately needed some Honeyduke's chocolate. She also started to worry when James Potter neglected to ask her out. _That's weird,_ she thought, as she stared at him laughing with his friends at breakfast. For a moment, their eyes met, but Lily hurriedly looked away. James continued to watch her, then, for the rest of the meal, looking elated.

--

"Prongs, Prongs mate! Can you believe it? She was actually LOOKING at me. Out of her own free will!" James exclaimed excitedly.

"She was probably imperiused," joked Sirius. James stuck out his lip like a child.

'Thanks, Pad mate. Now you've gone and ruined my fun."

"What? I said _probably._"

"Fine," muttered James sourly.

--

By Friday, Lily still didn't have a date.

"Fine, then," she muttered to herself. "I shall go dateless."

"Talking to yourself, once again, are we?" Alice interrupted.

"I still don't have a date for Hogsmeade, Alice."

"Hm," Alice said with twinkling eyes. "I heard that James Potter is free."

Lily playfully nudged her in the ribs. "Ha ha. I wasn't joking."

"You weren't? Well, then I suggest you go dateless. Mary doesn't have one either, so you can go together."

"You're a great load of help, Alice."

"I know," she smiled.

--

"Come on!" said Sirius excitedly, dragging James and Remus toward Zonko's.

"Will you remind me _why_ we brought him along?" asked Remus breathlessly, as he nearly missed a building.

"I dunno," wheezed James.

--

Lily sat in the Three Broomsticks, her hand wrapped around a large mug of Butterbeer, as she watched happy couples come and go. She spotted Justin Woolard snogging the face off of some Hufflepuff in a booth near by, and sighed. _Slimy git, _she thought with relish.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" remarked James, as he slid into a seat next to her.

"Wh..what?" she stammered. James rolled his eyes.

"I couldn't find a date, either."

"What makes you think I don't have a date?" she stated icily.

"For one, you're sitting here alone, and two, you look lonely. If you actually did have a date, I would go beat the living daylights out of him for leaving you here alone," he said kindly.

Lily blushed, and looked at her mug.

"You're right, I don't have a date. No one asked me."

"Well, if I'd have known, I would've asked you myself."

She wanted to say: _I wish you would have,_ but her brain didn't let her.

"Now, it would be nice if you'd let me accompany you to Honeydukes, you know, just for a moment," he said slyly.

She looked at him for a moment before nodding her head slowly.

"Why not?" she smiled weakly, and took his proffered hand.

Rosmerta winked at James as he opened the door for Lily. _Good work, _she mouthed, and he grinned.

--

**I hope u enjoyed, don't forget to review.**

**Hugs and kisses,**

**-FRF**


	8. AN

**(A/N:) 6-21-08**

**Hey everyone! I hope you'll forgive me if I don't update for a while. I've kind of run into a brick wall with the plot. (I know you're all 'tsking' at me for not having it all planned out earlier.) If you have any ideas for the story, don't hesitate to contact me! I desperately need ideas! If I don't get them, I may just discontinue the story. And I'm pretty sure you don't want that to happen. So, just take a few minutes out of your day, and tell me where you think this story should go. Please? Thanks for listening! I know you're disappointed that this wasn't a new chapter. I'm sorry. But if you give me some ideas, then I'll have some new chapters. Oh, and I'm NOT going to do a ball of any sort. Way too cliche.**

**Hugs and kisses,**

**-FRF**


	9. Forgiveness

_Hey there! Sorry for the delay. I wrote a longer chapter to make up for it, though._

_I hope you enjoy this one. Don't forget to REVIEW!_

_Disclaimer: Nothing and nobody in this story belongs to me. I really wish it did, but sigh life isn't alwyas perfect._

--

From his vantage point, Snape could see them. Lily...and him. She was laughing at something he had said, her head thrown back, her joyous bell-like tones piercing the cold air. He was also laughing, but looking at her, his eyes soft. Severus pulled out his wand. Now was the time.

--

Lily was having a great time. She didn't like to admit it, but it was true. He was so funny, and smart, and kind. She could talk to him without feeling embarrassed. Even the periods of silence were comfortable between them.

The shops in Hogsmeade looked like a postcard, with soft pilings of snow blanketing the buildings.

They had fallen into a silence again, both of them thinking about the other.

"Ow!" she suddenly exclaimed, rubbing her right arm, and looked around. She turned to look at James.

"Did you pinch me?" she accused.

"No! Why would I pinch you?" he said worriedly.

"I dunno," Lily muttered. "Let's just keep walking, okay?"

"Yeah," he agreed, and they started down the street again. A few minutes later, they came to a stop outside of Honeyduke's.

"Wanna go in?" James asked, and she nodded. He pulled open the door in a gentlemanly manner,

and she mock curtsied, giggling quietly as she stepped into the shop. The big displays of chocolate and sweets were magnificent. They both stopped to sample the flavor of the day -- whortleberry and lemon chocolate -- before heading over to the unusual flavor section. Lily snorted at some of the unusual concoctions -- acid pops, cockroach clusters, blood suckers and the like -- and turned to James, who was eyeing the cockroach clusters, his brow furrowed.

"D'you think Sirius would try a cockroach cluster if I told him they were peanuts?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Go ahead and get some, I think he would," she laughed, and headed over to get some sugar quills. James hurried over eagerly a minute later, with a large bag of sweets in his hand, and they got in the long line. As she reached in her pocket to pull out money, James stopped her.

"I'm paying."

"No, you're not. I am," said Lily exasperatedly.

He set both their bags by the register, and pulled out a few galleons, slapping them on the counter.

"I told you, I'm paying!"

"Come on Lily, this is the least I can do. Just work with me, okay?" he pleaded.

"Fine," she huffed, and grabbed her bag when the sales man finished ringing them up.

"Come on, Lily. I bet you let _Justin," _his face wrinkled in disgust, "buy your chocolate for you. Why can't I do the same?" he asked, as they exited the shop.

Her face turned livid, and she turned to walk away. He caught her arm as she spun around, and tugged her back towards him.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean it. You know I didn't!" he pleaded, and she wrenched her arm out of his grip.

"Don't talk to me," she hissed, and jogged back towards the castle.

It had begun to snow again. Harder this time, more like a storm. James stood in the middle of the street, his shoulders drooped, his stance limp. Sirius and Remus, who were heading back, saw him, and hurried over.

"What happened mate?" asked Sirius worriedly, taking in James' dejected expression.

"She hates me again," he mumbled, his words barely legible.

Remus sighed, and turned to Sirius.

"Come on, we need to get him back up to the castle before he catches the flu or something, standing out in this weather."

"Yeah," Padfoot agreed, and they each grabbed one of his arms.

--

"He was so rude! I can't believe it!" Lily ranted, as she stalked the length of the dormitory.

"Lily!" Mary exclaimed. Lily ignored her, and started afresh with a new argument.

"LILY!" Mary yelled, her face angry.

"Yes?!" she snapped, turning to look at Mary. Alice, who was sitting on her bed, watching the scene with a grim face.

"Lily, I think you just need to stop talking about James. It's doing you no good; plus, Alice and I are getting tired of hearing it." Alice nodded when Mary finished. Lily didn't say anything, but looked at the ground.

"When was the last time you asked me how my life has been going? When was the last time you asked Alice?" said Mary softly. Lily opened her mouth, but then closed it again.

"I...I can't remember," she finally said, her face shameful.

"Alice is going out with Frank, and Benjy just left me for someone else. How do you think that made me feel? Didn't you notice at all that something was wrong?"

"No," Lily whispered, and sniffed, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"That's right. You haven't been paying attention. You can't even get your mind off of James Potter for five minutes to ask how your friends are doing. I'm getting sick of it. If we hadn't been friends since first year, I would already be hanging out with someone else," Mary said savagely, and turned to leave. Alice got up from the bed slowly, and made her way over to Lily.

"Just remember," she muttered, "we're you're only friends." She walked away to joining Mary, and they left the room together.

Lily started to sob, her figure hunched, and stumbled over to her bed, collapsed in a heap upon it, and buried her face in her pillow, her shoulders shaking.

--

"Hey, Moony, do you think James would mind if I took some of his candy?" Sirius asked, and held up the large bag of sweets.

"Yes," Remus said, "but go ahead." Sirius yelped in excitement, and tore into the sack. Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius' child-like behavior.

"Hey, Moony? Do you know what this is? Looks like peanuts to me," said Sirius, holding up a chunk of chocolate covered something-or-other.

"Don't," Remus started, but Sirius had already stuffed a piece in his mouth. His face twisted in disgust.

"I was about to say, that looks like cockroach cluster," Moony stated dryly. The disgusted look on Sirius' grew wider when he heard this, and he spat out the brown lump on the floor.

"Blech!" he exclaimed. "That stuff is nasty."

"Well, I'm not cleaning it up," said Remus, with a disgusted look on his face.

--

"James. We've come to spring you," whispered Sirius, as he pulled of the invisibility cloak.

"Good," he whispered, "cause I feel fine. Pomfrey is just keeping me in here out of spite."

"Well, it's your own fault that you stood out in the middle of a blizzard and caught the flu," Remus said logically, from behind Sirius.

"Whatever." James wrinkled his nose, and sat up.

"Hurry up," urged Sirius. "I think I hear something.  
"So do I," whispered James. "Get back under the cloak!" he hissed, and lay down again, closing his eyes. Madam Pomfrey came around the corner and smiled fondly when she saw James, apparently asleep, on the bed.

"Have a good sleep," she whispered, and went back into her office, shutting the door behind her.

"Phew," Sirius whistled. "I didn't know Poppy could be so sweet," he said, fluttering his eyelashes at James.

"I told you she fancies me," smirked James. Remus chuckled and rolled his eyes. "We better get out of here before Madam Pomfrey hears something."

"Yeah. Get under the cloak, James."

"Wait," he said, and looked around with a puzzled look. "Where's Peter?"

"Oh, he wanted to sleep, so we just left him. There's no room under the cloak, anyway," said Sirius.

"Okay," said James. "Let's get going."

--

"Lily?" asked Alice at breakfast the next morning.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up at her.

"Mary and me have been thinking, and we decided that we want to forgive you," said Alice excitedly.

"Yeah," added Mary. "We've been friends for almost seven years now. I wouldn't want to give all that up for some silly argument, would you?"

"No," Lily smiled. "I definitely wouldn't."

--

"What's with them?" asked Sirius, seeing the three girls hugging each other, sobbing.

"Beats me," said James. "But they're girls, what can you expect? Mad at each other one minute, best friends for life the next. It's crazy." He looked down at his plate. "I just wish Lily would forgive me as easily as she forgave them," he said forlornly.

"It'll be okay," said Sirius kindly. "I know she'll forgive you."

--

"James?" It was Lily.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking at her with a hopeful expression.

"I've decided that I want to forgive you. You know, for what you said."

"Really?" he asked, his tone excited.

"Really," she smiled. "It was such a silly thing to be mad about, don't you think? I totally overreacted, and I'm sorry."

"No, that's okay. If anything, it's my fault. I'm the one who said it," he returned, and smiled at her. "It's so nice to be back on speaking terms, don't you think? Yelling at each other can get a little tiring," he joked, and she giggled.

"Yeah," she said, "I totally agree."

--

_There you go, hope you enjoyed!_

_REVIEW!_

_Hugs and kisses,_

_-FRF_


	10. Of Dreams

(A/N:) Mwahahaha, further romantic development. Sorry for the long wait; I've been busy procrastinating.

Anyway, this chapter is just a bit longer to make for it. Don't you love me? I guess not.

Disclaimer: I'd love to be J.K. Rowling. I really would. Either that or Stephenie Meyer. Actually, I'd rather be Stephenie Meyer. Anyway, it doesn't matter, because I'm neither! Le gasp! I know! Who knew?

Um, Review, ok?

--

_ She looked around. It was a beautiful spring day, the birds were chirping, the sun was bright and warm on her face. There were rows of white chairs under white canopies. The seated audience was silent, their eyes eager. She could see her mother crying in the front row. Sirius and Remus were seated on the other side; Sirius had a handkerchief pressed against his face, shaking with what seemed to be sobs. Remus hit him lightly on the shoulder, and Sirius looked up, grinning broadly, all traces of sadness gone from his face._

_She seemed to be holding hands with someone. She lifted her head up to see who it was. _

_"Not possible," she muttered weakly. _

_James Potter was smiling at her, his hazel eyes touched with amusement as he stared into hers._

_"Lily, wake up," he murmured, and the scene disappeared._

_--_

"Lily, wake up!" complained Alice from the side of Lily's bed.

"Whuzzgoinon?" Lily muttered, blinking her eyes rapidly as she grew accustomed to the bright morning light.

"Ugh, I've been trying to wake you for five minutes now," Alice said exasperatedly.

"You slept like a log. I thought I was going to have to go get someone to drag you out of bed."

"Well, I'm up now. Today's Saturday, isn't it?" Lily asked, peering at the calendar taped to the wall above her bed.

"Yes, genius. Come on, it's time for breakfast."

"You go ahead," Lily sighed, as she rolled out of bed and stumbled toward the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, she walked briskly down the hall toward the great hall. The chatter of the students reached her ears, and she made her way towards her friends. Alice gave her a pleading look and gestured soundlessly at the full seats beside her. The only empty spot was next to James. Lily sighed and slid into the seat next to him. He looked delighted.

"Finally decided to spend some quality time with old Prongsy here?" asked Sirius in an annoying tone.

"Everywhere else is full," she muttered, and grabbed a piece of toast. James examined her down turned face for a moment.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. What would make you think that something's wrong?" she asked hurriedly.

He chuckled. "You seem to be...on edge today. Did you have a bad dream or something?"

"No, not bad," she muttered.

"Good, then?"

"I guess you could call it that. Different, I suppose."

"Hm." He chewed his toast thoughtfully. "What was it about?"

"I...I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"It's private, that's why," she said fiercely, and looked savagely at her plate.

"Come on," he chuckled. "I'm sure the plate never did anything bad to you."

She giggled quietly.

"I'll tell you later, okay?" she said, looking around furtively.

"Fine."

--

"Ms. Evans, is it so hard to pay attention in my classroom?" Professor Mcgonagall asked sternly, fixing her with a stony glare,

"N...no," Lily stuttered. "I'm sorry, I must have zoned out for a moment."

"Five points from Gryffindor, then. Do try to pay attention in the future, won't you?"

"Yes ma'am," Lily muttered weakly.

--

"What happened in class today? That was really weird. You never get into trouble." It was James.

"I dunno," she muttered. "I just had a lot to think about, I guess."

"Are you going to tell me about your dream?"

"Tonight, okay?" she pleaded. "I have a lot of homework to do, and this is my only free period."

"Mine too. Can I study with you?"

"Sure," she replied, without really thinking. _Did I just say that James could study with me? Stupid._

"What did you say?" James asked.

"Oh! Nothing. I didn't say anything."

"Whatever you say. Here, let me carry your books."

--

His eyes darted to look at her. She was bent over a piece of parchment, her quill busily scratching across the paper. Every now and then she would look over at her book, running her long finger across the page. She would tap at the book when she found the fact she needed, and turn back to her rapidly growing essay. She stopped for a minute to look at him. He quickly turned his eyes away.

"Were you staring at me?" she accused, a slight smile on her lips.

"No."

"Are you sure?" She was pouting now. He smiled.

"Totally sure."

"Well, I better not catch you staring at me again. It's rude." She wagged her finger menacingly under his nose.

"Yes, captain," he replied, and saluted her. She smiled.

"I'm almost done. How far are you?" she asked, peering over to look at his paper.

"Um, nearly done too," he lied, covering his paper.

"Liar. You've hardly done anything. I know that smirk," she teased.

"Fine, fine. But I'll get it done. I always do."

"I know. That's what bothers me. You do your homework at the last minute, and still manage to get a pretty good grade. Not quite as good as mine, though," she laughed.

"Ah, the injustice," he muttered, and she giggled quietly.

"Come on," he said, "it's time for lunch." Lily stuffed her books in her bag, and hurried after James.

--

"Are you going to tell me now?" Lily sighed.

"I guess I have to. I promised," she muttered.

"Yes, you did promise," James replied, curious.

"Okay, fine. I dreamed...I dreamed about you."

James was stunned. "About...me? Are you sure?"

"Yes, about you James. And I'm totally sure," she replied, her cheeks flaming.

"Well, what was I doing?" he asked curiously, his face a mixture of surprise and joy.

"You were...we were...ugh, I don't want to tell you this," she murmured, and scuffed her shoes against the carpet.

"I promise I won't laugh or anything."

"You promise?" He nodded solemnly.

"We were...uh...gettingmarried?" she said in a rush, more like a question.

"Really?" he asked incredulously. She nodded pensively, biting her lip.

"Wow," he muttered, and sat down blindly on a chair. "I know," she replied. "But do you think I had any say in it? I can't control my dreams."

"I know that," he sighed, and then grinned. "It would be nice if it actually came true, though, wouldn't it?" Lily slapped him lightly on the shoulder, and then grinned too.

"Maybe," she said, and got up. "I have some homework to do," she announced. "And you need to finish that essay, mister. Get to it, or I'll make you."

"What are you, my mother or something?" he joked. "Sheesh. And I thought _she_ was controlling," he muttered under his breath as he ran up the stairs to get his bag.

"Hey! I heard that!" yelled Lily from the common room.

--

"Can you believe it, Padfoot? She had a dream about me! She must like me!" crowed James as he waltzed around the dormitory.

"Just because she had a dream about you doesn't mean she likes you, Prongs. I had a dream about bananas the other night, and you know that I hate bananas," harrumphed Sirius.

"Whatever." He dismissed the thought. "I think she might be warming up to me. She was laughing at my jokes, and she teased me about my homework."

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "I tease you about your homework too, but I definitely don't like you. Ergh."

"What do you think, Moony?" James questioned. Remus, who was reading _Hogwarts: A History_, muttered "Huh?" and looked up from his book briefly. James sighed. "Have you been paying attention at all?"

"No," Remus chuckled. "But go ahead and ask me anyway."

"Okay. D'you think Lily likes me now?"

"I dunno," said Remus pensively. "I'd give it a bit more time, mate."

"A bit more time? I've been waiting for years!"

"Yeah," Remus sighed. "But she hasn't. Don't press yourself on her. She'll just end up getting mad again."

"You're right," James muttered. "Anyway, I've got an essay to finish. See ya!" he said cheerfully, and leapt down the stairs excitedly.

"Exploding snap?" Sirius muttered, holding out the pack of cards.

--

"Took you a while," Lily muttered harshly as James reached the common room.

"Sorry," he shrugged. "I got held up."

"You told them, didn't you?" Her voice was sharp with the accusation.

"Um, yes?" he said weakly. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Oh well, I knew you were going to."

"You...you're forgiving me?" he asked, his voice confused.

"Yeah, I think it's pointless to argue over stuff like that. Just make sure they don't tell anyone, okay?" she said severely.

"Of course," he answered. "I'll gag Sirius if I have to."

"I like the sound of that," Lily smiled.

--

"Wow."

"I know."

"Who knew?"

"I sure didn't."

"Will you guys stop it? It's not that surprising," muttered Lily irately.

"Fine," Alice murmured. "I was just amazed, is all."

"Me too. You guys used to hate each other. And now, you're suddenly friends. It's kinda creepy," said Mary conversationally.

"Yeah, yeah," returned Lily. "So, how's it going to between you and Frank, Alice?"

"You changed the subject. To answer your question, we're doing fine," Alice replied.

"That's nice. How about you, Mary. How're things going?"

"Fine," she eyed Lily speculatively. "Why do you ask?"

"I dunno. I just want to know how my friends are doing. It's common courtesy," Lily stated primly.

"Alice?" Mary whispered conspiratorially.

"Yes Mary?"

"I think Lily's going through some sort of mid-life crisis. Except, it's more like a young-life crisis."

"I agree, Mary," Alice whispered back.

"Shut up," Lily laughed playfully.

--

(A/N:) Hope you enjoyed reading this one.

Don't forget to review, you lily-livered metal-munchers. Haha, I made that one up myself.

Anyway, review!!

(P.S. I'll give you some free e-chocolate if you review!)


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